Photographic-printing machine.



PATENTED JUNE 25, 1907.

W. T. MEAD. PHOTOGRAPHIU PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN: 18. 1906. 2 SHEETS SHEBT 1 if Al Wbaessewx- I a.Y/m

r, 0 J W M r I a THE NoRRn; PETERS rQ, wasnmnm/v, m c.

PATENI'ED JUNE 25, 1907 W. T. MEAD. PHOTOGRAPHIG PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION TILED JAN.18.19OG. I

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

lllll IIIIIIIII| flzmlgmwf aardrafi,

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLARD T. MEAD, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING MACBHNE,

Specification of Letters Patent Patented June 25, 1907.

Application filed January 18, 1906. Serial l fe. 296,64 l,

To a rah/0m, it may concern:

Be it known that l, VVlLLARD T. Mann, a citizen of the United States,residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in PhotographicPrintinglilachines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for making photographic prints and isof that kind in which the negative, tracing or transparent original tobe reproduced, and the sensitized print paper, or sheet, are pressed inproper relation against a printing or supporting bed or surface, and arecaused to travel over said bed or surface while exposed to the light, bya traveling belt or apron. These machines are probably .most commonlyused for making prints from tracings.

The primary object of the invention is to produce a machine capable ofrapid and economical operation which is suitable for producing large orcontinuous prints, or a number of small prints at one time, and isconstructed to prevent any relative shifting or slipping of the originaland sensitized sheet during the travel thereof over the printing bed orsurface.

Another object of the invention is to improve such photographic printingmachines in the respects hereinafter specified and pointed out in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of two sheets: Figure 1 is alongitudinal sectional elevation of a photographic printing machineembodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevationthereof on line 2-2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail section, on an enlargedscale, of the front end of the bed and adjacent feed rollers. Fig. at isa similar view of the rear end of the bed and feed rollers. Fig. 5 is afragmentary section, on an enlarged scale, of one of the intermediatepairs of feed rollers and adjacent parts. Figs. 6 and 7 are respectivelya fragmentary vertical and horizontal section, on an enlarged scale,showing a modification of the intermediate feed rollers. Figs. 8 and 9are views similar respectively to Figs. 6 and 7 showing a modificationof the guide devices.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A represents a supporting or printing bed or surface of glass, or othersuitable transparent or light transmitting material, against which theflexible negative, tracing or original and sensitized print sheet arepressed and over which they travel. The bed is preferably, though notnecessarily, composed of a n umber of curved panes or panels a which arearranged to form a horizontal cylinder open at its upper portion, andare separated to provide spaces between them for feed rollers. Thepanels are secured, in any usual or suitable way, in end frames B of anysuitable construction which are rigidly connected, as by tie-rods I) andform the supporting structure of the machine. The segmental cylindricalbed made of a series of relatively narrow panels is much less expensiveto make than a single-piece bed and is less liable to break under thechanges of temperature to which it is subjected in use. Thisconstruction of the bed besides providing the spaces for the feedrollers, therefore decreases the cost of manufacture and maintenance ofthe machine.

C represents an endless traveling apron or belt which extends from endto end of the bed or cylinder for pressing the originals and sensitizedsheets flat against the same and moving them thereover while exposed tothe light. The apron, which is made of any suitable strong, flexiblematerial, such, for instance, as canvas or duck, is looped aroundrollers D and D which are arranged near the opposite ends of the bed, orat the opposite sides of the opening of the cylinder and are journaledat their ends in the end frames B. The inner portion or run of theapron, which is drawn against the bed or cylinder, passes between theserollers and co-operating feed rollers (Z d which are arranged at theinner side of the apron and are journaled on the end frames of themachine. The inner porion or run of the apron also passes between aseries of pairs, or sets, of feed rollers E E located around the bed orcylinder in the spaces between the panels thereof. In the machineillustrated the outer portion of the apron is drawn against the outersides of the outer rollers E and is guided thereby, but this outerportion of the apron could pass over any other suitable guide means. Theinner and outer rollers of each pair are so disposed, respectively,inside and outside of the bed or cylinder as to hold the inner run ofthe apron snugly against the outer surface of the bed. and prevent, asfar as possible, the flattening of the apron between the panels of thebed or surface, and they are so constructed, or journaled and providedwith pressure means,

that the rollers of each pair exert a pressure on, or yieldingly gripthe inner run of the apron, and the rollers are caused to revolve with aperipheral speed equal to the speed of the apron, so that the originaland sensitized sheet will be pressed against the apron and will bepositively moved therewith over the printi'j g bed. or cy Tier.

In the construction shown in Figs. 15 one roller of ach pain? instance,the inner rollers d d of the two end p and the outer rollers ol theintermediate pairs, is journaled in movable spring-pressed ournal boxesf of a construction, for instance, such as shown in Fig. 9. The rollersshould be made with surfaces of a character best adapted to insure theproper grippin and feeding of the apron and originals and sensitizedsheets.

The apron can be driven by any suitable means, for example, in themachine illustrated, see Fig. 1, the rollers D d at the rear end of thebed or cylinder are geared together by gear wheels 9 secured to theirprojecting journals and one ournal is provided with a drive pulley orwheel g. These roll ers are thus positively turned in oppositedirections and draw the apron. taut against the bed or cylinder and moveit rearwardly over the same. The intermediate rollers are driven at thesame speed by the Frictional engagement of the inner run of the apronwith both rollers of each pair and or the outer run of the apron withthe several outer rollers.

A roller it is shown in Fig. 1 over which the apron passes and which isadjustably mounted in the machine in any usual manner to tension theapron as may be necessary from time to time.

The machine is preferably provid ed with a feed table ll, Fig. 1, at thefront side of the bed or cylinder on which he originals and sensitizedsheets are placed and adjusted to facilitate the proper leeding thereofinto the machine. in the construction shown, this feed table is sup701l16d by projecting arms 1' on the end frames in front of the firstpair of feed rollers D (Z with its top substantially in the horizontalplane of the top of the outer roller D, and St1})1')l0111(3l1t5tl teedroller K is provided. above the roller D which is yieldingly pressedagainst the apron by springpressed journal boxes or in any othersuitable manner. The original and sensitive sheets are placed on thefeed table with their rear ends between the apron and supplemental feedroller K which grasp and feed them into the machine, and they are causedto pass around the roller D with the apron and enter between the apronand bed or cylinder by suitable guides L, consisting, in theconstruction shown, of -shaped strips which are attached at one end to across bar Z secured on the end 'l'rames B, and extend around the rollerD through suitable peripheral grooves Z in the rollers K and d. The

free ends of the guide strips bear against the adjacent edge Z of thelirst panel 0'! the bed or cylinder, which is preferably beveled, andprevent the original and sensitized sheet l'rom curling inwardly betweenthe inner roller (Z and the end of the bed or cylinder. Similar guidestrips M, Fig. 1, attached to a cross bar m and extending between thelast iair of feed rollers, and over the outer roller D of said pair, areprovided lor guiding the original and sensitized sheet out around therear end ol the apron. Guide means ol' any other suitable col'istruclioncould be used instead ol the guides 14 and .M described.

Guide strips N are also prel'ra'ably provided between each pair ofintermediate feed rollers E E to insure the proper passage ol' theoriginals and sensitized sheets across the spaces between the panels ofthe bed or cylinder. In the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 theseguide strips are attached. to cross bars 07., arranged inside the bed orcylinder, and extend through grooves in the inner rollers to the bevelededges oi" the panels in rear of said. rollers, while in Figs. 8 and E)is illustrated a construction in which the guide strips i are cementedor otherwise attached to one panel and extend across the interveningspace to the next panel.

The l eed rollers above described. are continuous or extend across thebed or cylinder from side to side thereof, being join-railed at theirends in the end l'rames 13, but short rollers arranged at intervalsacross the bed or cylinder could be used instead for the inner feedrollers and also possibly for the outer rollers of the intermediatepairs. For instance, Figs. 6 and 7 show an arrangement ol spaced shortrollers 0 each jOUl'l'ltLlQCl in a separate spring bearing arm 2) bywhich it is pressed against the apron.

Any suitable source of light within the bed or cylinder can be employed.Electric lamps are indicated at Q in F 1 and 2, suspended within. thebed or cylinder il'rom a supporting cross bar at the upper part ol the lra-me. The bed or cylinder being open at the top affords a ready escapefor the heat generated by the lights.

It, Fig. 1, represents a receptacle for receiving the. originals andsensitized sheets which fall down from the discharge end of the apron.This or any other means l or taking care of the tracings and prints asthey discharge can be used.

The operation ol" the machine is as follows: The sensitized sheet isplaced on the food table with the sensitive side uppermost and. thetracing or other transymrent orig nal is placed thereon and the ends ofthe two engaged between the supplemental leed roller K and the apron C.The original and sensitized sheet will be led around the roller 1) atthe front end of the bed or cylinder in between the apron and the bed orcylinder and will pass with the traveling apron between the intermediatefeed rollers and will be exposed to the light while passing around thebed or cylinder, and will be discharged from the machine when they passaround the roller D at the rear of the bed. The speed of movement of theapron is so re ulated that the printing will be completed. during thetravel of the original and sensitized sheet from end to end of the bedor cylinder. The periphery of the bed or cylinder is large, thusenabling the exposure of a large original, or of a number of smalloriginals at one time, and, the movement of the apron is cont-inuons, itis also possible to reprodnii'e an original no matter of how great itslength. The pairs of intermediate feed rollers are preferably separateddistances less than the length of the smallest originals to bereproduced so that the front ends thereof and of the sensitized sheetwill be grasped and fed forward by one pair of rolls before the rearends thereof are released by the succeeding pair of rollers, and, as allof the rollers and apron move at the same speed, the original andsensitized sheet will be positively moved over the bed and held inexactly the same relation and there can be no slipping of the sensitizedsheet on the original due to the friction of the latter on the bed orcylinder. Vithout the feed rollers for positively grasping and feedingthe tracing and print paper there might be some slipping of one on theother, especially in the case of short pieces.

The preferred construction of the machine has been described, having thebed in the form of a transparent cylinder open at the upper portion withthe source of light within the same, but manifestly the arrangement of astationary bed and single traveling apron with the feed rollers betweenwhich the apron passes, to insure the proper movement of the originalsand sensitized sheets without slipping, would be desirable regardless ofthe shape and character of the bed and apron and irrespective of whetherthe light for printing is transmitted through the bed or through theapron.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination of a light-transmitting printing bed, a travelingapron which presses the original and sensitized sheet against the bed.while exposed to the light, and feed. rollers which are located betweenthe ends of said bed and between which the apron, ori inal andsensitized sheet pass and by which the original and sensitized sheet arepressed against and positively moved with the apron, substantially asset forth.

2. The combination of a stationary curved printing bed, a travelingapron which presses the original and sensitized sheet against the bedwhile exposed to the light, and feed rollers which are located betweenthe ends of said bed and between which the apron, original andsensitized sheet pass and by which the original and sensitized sheet arepressed against and positively moved with the apron, substantially asset forth.

3. The combination of a light-transmitting printing bed over which theoriginal and sensitized sheet are passed while exposed to the light,Sill-ii. bed being in the form of a cylinder arranged with its axissubstantially horizontal and open at its upper portion, a source oflight within the cylinder, and feed rol ers which are located betweenthe ends of said bed and l et'-. .'een which the original and sensitizedsheet pass and by which they are positive y moved over said bed,substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of a printing bed, a traveling apron which pressesthe original and sensitized sheet against the bed while exposed to thelight, and feed rollers arranged intermediate of the ends of the bedbetween which the apron original and sensitized sheet pass and by whichthe original and sensitized sheet are pressed against and positivelymoved with the apron, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a printing bed composed of spaced panels overwhich the original and sensitized sheet are passed while exposed. to thelight, and feed rollers which are arranged in the spaces between the bedpanels and between which the original and sensitized sheet pass and bywhich they are positively moved over the bed, substantially as setforth.

6. The combination of a printing bed composed of spaced panels, atraveling apron which presses the original and sensitized sheet againstthe bed while exposed to the light, and feed rollers arranged in thespaces between the bed panels between which the apron original andsensitized sheet pass and by which the original and sensitized sheet arepressed against and positively movedv with the apron, substantially asset forth.

7. The combination of a curved printing bed composed of spaced lighttransmitting panels, a traveling apron which presses the original andsensitized sheet against the bed, while exposed to the light, and feedrollers arranged in the spaces between the bed panels between which theapron original and sensitized sheet pass and by which the original andsensitized sheet are pressed against and positively moved with theapron, substan tially as set forth.

8. The combination of a printing bed, a traveling apron which pressesthe original and sensitized sheet against said bed while exposed to thelight, one or more rollers arranged between the ends of said bed andbetween which. and said apron the original and sensitized sheet pass,said roller or rollers and apron acting to press said original andsensitized sheet together and feed them positively with said apron overthe substantially as set forth.

9. The combination of a printing bed, a traveling apron which pressesthe original and sensitized sheet against the bed while exposed to thelight, and feed rollers which are arranged between the ends of the bedand between which the apron original and sensitized sheet are yieldinglygrasped and pressed together and by which the original and sensitizedsheet are positively moved with the apron, substantially as set forth.

10. The combination of a printing bed composed of spaced panels, atraveling apron which presses the original and sensitized sheet againstthe bed while exposed. to the light, feed rollers arranged in thespacesbetween the bed panels between which the apron original andsensitized sheet pass and by which the original and sensitized sheet arepressed against and positively moved with the apron, and guide devicesin the spaces between the bed panels to prevent the original and. sen.-sitized material from leaving'the bed, substantially as set forth.

11. The combination of a curved printing printing bed,

bed, an endless traveling feed apron extending over said bed and passingaround rollers near the opposite ends thereof, and guides partiallysurrounding said rollers for guiding the original and sensitizedmaterial around said rollers to introduce them between the apron and bedand discharge them there from, substantially as set forth.

12. The combination of a stationary curved printing bed, a travelingapron which presses the original and sensitized sheet against said bedwhile exposed to the light, one or more rollers arranged. between theends of said bed inside of the curve of said apron and between which andsaid apron the original and sensitized sheet pass, said roller orrollers and apron acting to press said original and sensitized sheettogether and feed them positively with said apron over the printing bed,substantially as set forth.

itness my hand, this 13th day of January, 1906.

\VILLARD T. MEAD. TVitnesses C. W. PARKER, EDWARD C. HARD.

